women perform up to 80% of a coffee farms labor in the DRC, but many never receive an income for their efforts

In 2015, not only did Chris and other specialty coffee industry members travel to the Congo, so too did seven astounding marathon runners. Run Across Congo was a fund- and awareness-raising event that saw nine people run seven marathons in seven days across South Kivu, DRC. The run, created by On the Ground, was intended to promote gender equality and garner support for gender initiatives throughout the Congo, a country known as one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a woman. Sexual violence is extremely common, especially in the eastern region of the country, where 39.7% of women report being the victim of sexual abuse. War has normalized rape and sexual violence, and yet because of the ongoing conflicts, many women are the heads of their households. Between 60 and 90 percent of homes are female-led , which means they are the sole providers for their families...